Minister Mtambo assures Northern Region farmers of fast AIP delivery

The faltering hope on Affordable Input Programme (AIP) is fast regaining its consciousness in Chitipa where Malawi Defence Force (MDF) trucks delivered the inputs on Friday morning.

On Thursday evening, the Minister of National Unity Timothy Pagonachi Simbega Mtambo witnessed the departure of MDF trucks leaving Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) depot in Mzuzu heading for Chitipa.

Mtambo (in red golf-shirt) inspecting the loaded MDF trucks at Mzuzu SFFRFM Depot on Thursday

It is expected that beneficiary farmers from Nthalire in Chitipa South will start accessing fertiliser the inputs this weekend.

Mtambo told local journalists in Mzuzu that the Chakwera administration remained determined to see all the earmarked beneficiaries accessing the inputs in good time.

“Government wants to create a special warehouse at Kapoka in Chitipa from where the inputs will have to be taken to other areas like Nthalire. The MDF soldiers will have to be in Chitipa up to the time that this exercise is completed.

“We want to load as much Fertilizer as possible at Kapoka so that it becomes a central point. Let me assure people of Nthalire that Fertiliser will be there soon. I have also asked SFFRFM officials to come up with more selling points like at Mzimba and Karonga boma,” he said.

SFFRFM official in Mzuzu, Loyce Potani, said they dispatched 1, 750 NPK fertiliser bags to Nthalire.

“We will have a backup from Liwonde where trucks will be delivering direct to Kapoka, from where MDF soldiers will be taking the stock to Nthalire,” she said.

Meanwhile, members of the AIP Taskforce have gone on the ground to appreciate and resolve transport and logistical challenges that have emerged during implementation of this year’s programme.

Minister Mtambo – who is a member of the AIP Taskforce Team – assured farmers in the Northern Region that 500 tonnes of NPK and UREA fertilizers will be delivered by end of this weekend.

“We had fewer trucks to deliver fertilizers straight from Liwonde and Lilongwe, but these challenges have since been resolved,” said Mtambo.

Minister of Agriculture Sam Dalitso Kawale is currently inspecting AIP delivery exercise in the other northern districts of Malawi while the Minister of Youth Richard Chimwendo Banda – who is also the Chairperson for AIP Committee – is in the Southern Region.

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